JPPI Asks Prabowo To Stop MBG Program, House Of Representatives Commission IX: Heavy, That's A Political Promise

JAKARTA - Commission IX of the House of Representatives responded to the recommendation of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) for President Prabowo Subianto to stop the Free Nutrition Food (MBG) program, after the mass poisoning incident in various regions.

Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives, Edy Wuryanto, said that the recommendation to stop the MBG program was very difficult.

Because according to him, accurate data is needed on how MBG is detrimental to the community, especially since this priority program is the political promise of the Prabowo-Gibran government.

"Recommendations to stop the MBG program right now, now this is a tough president, mas, this is a political promise. Please allow, the data must be strong, if you want to stop because this is a priority program, a political promise," said Edy during an audience meeting with JPPI at the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, September 22.

Edy also asked JPPI to collect complete data on the findings of 7 MBG scandals, not just reports or assumptions. The data, said Edy, is needed by Commission IX of the DPR to conclude and calculate the impact of the MBG implementation.

"So these 7 MBG scandals, if I chase your data from where I ask, this solution, everyone's assumptions, this data must be strong. If it's just like this, I assume we can't conclude because your recommendations are heavy, you need to take into account what effect is behind it because it's been running for about 10 months," said Edy.

"So among the westernmost recommendations, but if the recommendation of one is not completed, in the end, the recommendation must be (to stop MBG)," he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the House of Representatives Charles Honoris, said that when poisoning occurs at various points, the error is not in the SPPG but in problems in the system. However, Charles said, the DPR has no authority to ask the President to stop the MBG program.

"Earlier, the recommendation from JPPI, conveyed to the president to stop the program, maybe the forum is not here, our partner is BGN, we have the task of evaluating and supervising BGN, so we want a recommendation to be able to evaluate them so that similar incidents do not happen again," he said.

"If the problem is he stops it or not, this is the president's policy. If he feels that this program is no longer needed, maybe he will stop it. In fact, the president still feels that this is a strategic program that must be carried out and the budget has been prepared, therefore I believe we all have priority together on how to stop the same thing from happening again, how do we save us from poisoning. But if the system is not changed then it is almost certain that poisoning will continue to repeat itself," he continued.

Previously, JPPI suggested that President Prabowo Subianto evaluate the total implementation of MBG, if necessary, stop this program so that no more Indonesian children are poisoned.

"We conveyed to Pak Prabowo, first stop the MBG program now. This is not a technical error but a system error, because it has spread in several areas. For that, stop the MBG program now," said JPPI program coordinator and advocate Ari Hardianto in the same meeting.

Ari also asked President Prabowo to evaluate the total governance system of MBG which is controlled by BGN. "Because this BGN is under the President, this president is responsible for conducting a total evaluation of the MBG system and governance in BGN," he said.

The President was also asked to prioritize children's safety above the political ambitions and program targets. JPPI reminded not to make children a target of political programs that eventually neglect children's safety and children's growth and development.

"Earlier it was conveyed by doctors, health workers that it turns out that MBG not only injures, poisons children, but also reduces children's growth and development," he said.

Ari also asked the government not to use education funds for the food and food program because the fulfillment of the minimum standards for basic education needs, teacher salaries, children dropping out of school is still a lot.

"In fact, MBG looted the education budget, so we respectfully ask the members of the board of members of Commission IX to convey this recommendation to the President and we ask to stop MBG from stopping the MBG program and total evaluation," he said.